Oil-Free Salad Dressing (3-Ingredients)
If you’ve been looking for an easy vegan dressing that can be whipped up in about 2-minutes flat, we’ve got you covered. This Oil-Free Salad Dressing is fabulous on more than salads too.
This plant-based oil-free salad dressing is great on pasta and bean salads, as well as regular garden salads. With only three ingredients required, it’s likely you’ve already got everything needed on hand.
We have other great easy oil-free salad dressings on this website including our ginger miso dressing, my Thai salad dressing, and this creamy vegan ranch dressing.
Reasons I love this dressing
- Healthy and Guilt-Free: You will love this oil-free vegan salad dressing for its ability to provide delicious, creamy flavor without the extra calories and fats from oil, making your salads healthier.
- Fresh and Flavorful: Made with a blend of fresh, natural ingredients, this low-calorie salad dressing enhances the taste of your salads with vibrant and satisfying flavors.
- Easy to Make: Quick and simple to prepare, this healthy dressing saves you time in the kitchen while ensuring a tasty addition to your meals.
Ingredients you’ll need
The simple wholesome ingredients needed for this recipe are probably already in your cupboard.
- Balsamic vinegar is for the tangy zing, and other kinds of vinegar can be used as well.
- Dijon mustard or other mustard preferred
- Maple syrup will help add a hint of sweetness.
Pro tips & substitutions
- Variations- These ingredients can be switched out with other variations if desired. For instance, though the recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, other vinegar such as pomegranate, red wine, as well as others can be substituted.
- Mustard- I personally like Dijon in this dressing, but brown spicy, yellow, and others would likely be delicious too.
- Sweetener- If maple syrup isn’t a favorite for you, try agave, brown rice syrup, or another sweetener of your choice.
- More options- Another 3-ingredient oil-free salad dressing that I love is this 5-Minute Tangy Vinegar Dressing that is actually from my favorite Thai restaurant where they use it as a dipping sauce for their fresh garden spring rolls.
How to make oil-free salad dressing
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: This is the easiest salad dressing you’ll ever make. Simply measure the ingredients, add them to a bowl, and whisk together well.
STEP #2: Pour over any garden, pasta, or bean salad you desire to add a burst of flavor.
Esselstyn 3-2-1 Dressing was created by a chef named Jane Esselstyn. She is the daughter of Dr. B. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., M.D., author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
*Originally published October 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.
Yes. If maple syrup isn’t a favorite for you, try agave nectar, brown rice syrup, honey, or another sweetener of your choice.
Tweak the ingredient measurements to your preference. If you like it sweet, add more sweetener. I like Dijon mustard, but you might also try brown spicy, yellow, and others would likely be delicious too. Try other vinegar options as well.
More Favorite Oil-Free Dressings
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Balsamic Oil-Free Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or yellow, brown, spicy
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or other sweetener)
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, or shake up in a jar.
- Pour over garden salad, bean salad, or pasta salad.
- Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-days.
Video
Notes
- Variations- These ingredients can be switched out with other variations if desired. For instance, though the recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, other vinegar such as pomegranate, red wine, as well as others can be substituted.
- Mustard- I personally like Dijon in this dressing, but brown spicy, yellow, and others would likely be delicious too.
- Sweetener- If maple syrup isn’t a favorite for you, try agave, brown rice syrup, or another sweetener of your choice.
- More options- Another 3-ingredient oil-free salad dressing that I love is this 5-Minute Tangy Vinegar Dressing that is actually from my favorite Thai restaurant where they use it as a dipping sauce for their fresh garden spring rolls.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Don’t let your salads go naked!! This is my favorite. I even take it in my purse to restaurants, it’s just that good!
This is the best fat-free dressing I’ve ever tasted! I now make it almost every day. I like my dressing freshly made, so if I’m making it for myself for a side salad, I just use a 1/2 teaspoon measure (1/2 tsp of maple, 1 tsp of Dijon (whole grain), and 1-1/2 tsps balsamic). I add a tiny pinch of salt, garlic salt, or Spike salad seasoning. My usual (daily) side salad is a few grape tomatoes, orange or red bell peppers, and just a little lettuce, and this salad works perfectly. I find that just a little is all I need to bring out the flavor. It’s great to have a recipe that will enhance flavors rather than overwhelm them, and the fact that it is low in calories and fat free is a huge bonus! Thank you!
It is a hit in our house. Tripled the recipe and it didn’t last long for lunches.
That’s terrific! I am so glad that your whole family enjoyed it.
Yummy hit in my household!
I put some in a small bottle and put in my purse when I go out to dinner. The perfect dressing for any salad! I love it!
I clicked on the Healthy Salad Dressings picture as instructed but only got another picture, no recipes.
Love your recipes btw
Hi Karen- So sorry about that, and thanks for letting me know. Try it now and see if it works for you.
@Terri Edwards, Thank you, that fixed it!
This dressing is amazing, I have been making it for a couple years now, everyone that tries it loves it! Sometimes I add different spices to it, it’s always fantastic!
I made the dressing for a 2nd time – each time I tripled the recipe as I’m a salad eater extraordinaire!
Easy. Delish. Five star.
This blew my mind and my taste buds. So very yummy! I made a side salad with a Quinoa and mushroom bake. The dressing seeped into the quinoa and oh my goodness was that good. I will be pouring the dressing over quinoa now too. Thank you!
Hi Kristi- Oh my, that sounds divine! This dressing is perfectly paired with quinoa. What a great accidental discovery. 😀
I love it, it’s super easy and tasty. For how long can i store it?
Hi Sara- So glad that you like it! It should keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 7-10 days.
So yummy AND so quick/easy! Thank you!
PERFECTION! So VERY Delicious! Cray that three ingredients are so great together and make a wonderfully delicious dressing! Thank you SO MUCH!
Hi, I have the book abd I love it.
In your writing you state that “…. by a chef named Jane Esselstyn. She is the wife of Dr. B. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr….”.
Isn’t Jane Dr. Esselstyn’s daughter and Ann his wife? Thats what I’ve thought.
Best regards,
CB
You are right! Jane is Dr. Esselstyn’s daughter, and Ann is his wife. Typo on my part. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention.